Housecore Horror Live Shot: Sunday Part 2

On the final evening of Housecore Horror, a new policy was introduced at Emo’s: all entrants will empty pockets and submit to a search. “Danzig came in and changed everything,” explained a guard. Taped to the doors, signs instructed, “No cell phones whatsoever during Danzig/Samhain.” Finally. Cell phones should be banned at shows more often.

These show biz antics remain irritating to most – I had to leave my knife behind the bar next door at Midway – but you have to hand it to Glenn Danzig. He knows how to make his presence known.

Eyehategod (Photo by Gary Miller)

Eyehategod aren’t concerned with making a big entrance. They were onstage doing a final sound check before the lights were even down and anyone noticed they were three songs in. Yet by the time “New Orleans Is the New Vietnam” was rolling off the stage, there were smoke grenades going off all along the perimeter.

The crawling mist appeared to be part of the show, but may have actually been lung exhaust from the huge Sunday night crowd. People say AC/DC makes the same album over and over. Well, Eyehategod play the same song, and do it well.

There’s little deviation from the crawling gloom of guitarists Jimmy Bower and Brian Patton, and Mike Williams still screams like there’s no other option to being onstage except maybe prison. He even gave a festival update: Housecore wasn’t only Ebola free, they were offering free Ebola.

The Howling: Glenn Danzig caps the Housecore Horror Film Festival at Emo’s, 10.26.14 (Photo by Gary Miller)

Even after being introduced by a slurring Phil Anselmo, it was at least 20 more minutes before the lights glowed red and Danzig came onstage with “Skincarver” from 2004’s Circle of Snakes.

In contrast to Glenn Danzig’s onstage zeal, it would be tough to find a less animated guitarists than Danzig’s Tommy Victor, who surrendered the stage to Samhain’s touring guitarist halfway through. As for the rest of Samhain – Danzig’s post-Misfits horror punks – you can’t really argue with four guys drenched in fake blood playing most of 1984 debut Initium. Danzig bassist Steve Zing switched to drums and Samhain’s London May appeared on bass.

They skipped “The Howl,” but Danzig had already played “Killer Wolf” so maybe one werewolf song a night is enough. Reworked Misfits tune “Horror Biz” coaxed everyone’s favorite girlfriend jam, closer “Archangel.” Despite the ominous “Horror Biz” lyric, no one put a knife in anyone.

The Danzig band re-emerged, unscathed and blood- and Ebola-free, to let Anselmo and the rest of the crowd sing “Mother.”